In spite of this the novel does not deserve to be forgotten, because as a work of fiction it does have fine literary qualities, and it and deserves its unique place in the history of English Literature. We cannot excuse or defend Kipling's attitudes, but we can acknowledge the historical fact that they were no different to those of many of his Victorian contemporaries, and be glad that the fact is a historical one. It isn't even possible to enjoy some aspects of Kim while putting Kipling's unacceptable attitudes on one side, because his attitudes are embedded in every facet of the novel. Kipling makes countless other rash and biased generalisations about India and its people (for more examples see Said p.28-9) which come from the adult narrator, and not from Kim himself. But we cannot allow the adult Kipling to hide behind his child hero's viewpoint, particularly as the novel is littered with patronising comments such as: 'The Curator smiled at the mixture of old-world piety and modern progress that is the note of India today.' (Ch.1 p.59) which are clearly from his viewpoint, rather than Kim's. Perhaps we can accept that Kim, like Kipling himself, was born in India under British rule and so, as a child, would have encountered this situation as a 'given', something which was just there, with no obvious reason why it should be questioned. a rich and absolutely fascinating, but nevertheless profoundly embarrassing novel.
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